Many franchise owners have likely avoided small business loans because they are busy enough already. When you open a new franchise, you must simultaneously take on the roles of recruiter, accountant, sales executive, and HR manager. But United Capital Source’s franchise business loans can be accessed in just a few business days, and you don’t have to play three rounds of phone tag just to have a question answered. With a merchant cash advance, payments are automatically deducted from sales and therefore require no manual action from the business owner. It is literally impossible to “miss” a payment.

Opening up a franchise is a huge undertaking that takes no shortage of time and effort. Once you’ve done your homework to find a franchisor you want to work with, you’ll want to review the funding options available to get the ball rolling. When you’re taking out financing, be sure to work with a reputable lender, getting only the amount what you need.
Most people spent *some* amount of money, even if it was just the cost of a $50 business license or a $10 domain name. But far more important than money was the investment of sweat equity -- taking the time to make something meaningful. Brett Kelly wrote Evernote Essentials, a guide to the free Evernote software. His initial goal was that it would make $10,000 over the course of a year. One year later, it had made more than $100,000. Initial startup costs were essentially zero.
If it does not exist, create it. If you have an idea-ideas or skills, think of how to use your ideas or skills to create a business and to put it out there to see what it can attract and what you can create. Many successful businesses started with an idea and that idea has become a success “from one person business to global corporations”. Failure is an attempt at success, if you don’t give up and modify each attempt, then each attempt can become a success.

In addition to serving as associate chair, Eddie is a principal lecturer for the highly ranked Supply Chain Management program in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Eddie has taught over 30,000 students in person and millions more online via videos and digital textbooks. His digital content is used by both top-ranked universities and Fortune 500 companies around the world. He has also provided consulting services for companies in the energy, publishing, retail, technology, global health, and agriculture industries. Eddie likes to spend his spare time on a yoga mat.

Brad has spent more than twelve years working at the crossroads of business development, marketing, and social media. He was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine as a young entrepreneur, launching his first successful business at the age of 15. Up until joining lynda.com as an online marketing manager in 2012, he honed his skills working as a consultant alongside brands large and small, including LegalZoom, Clear Channel, eSolar, Dickies, and Urban Outfitters. He has also served as an advisor to multiple startups, providing marketing direction and strategic advice.
SmartBiz does not originate loans. Rather, it is a service that matches business owners with SBA-preferred banks. If you don’t qualify for an SBA loan, SmartBiz can match you with one of its non-SBA partners to secure a loan. While SBA loans have the lowest interest rates and longest repayment terms — up to 10 years for most loans — you might still be able to get a medium-term non-SBA loan with an interest rate as low as 7.99% through SmartBiz.
Hashtag – The right hashtags can provide a boost to the visuals on Instagram. Be creative when it comes to hashtags. Try to come up with something that your followers would want to share. It’s best to avoid using just the name of your business as a hashtag. Instead, consider using a word or a phrase that captures your brand. Sprout Social lists some examples of how some big brands have successfully used hashtags.
One noticeable trend in most businesses of all kinds today is technology. Workers and business owners cannot deny how it has influenced and advanced the world of commerce. In particular, technology has made it easier for franchises as they need sophisticated systems to manage the complexity of their trade. By their size, even the smaller franchises require this approach. Thus the most significant concept observed among franchises is software that is not installed on a computer, but instead consists of the web. The point of this approach is to take all the software programs usually equipped with a company’s personal computers and move them to the internet. There, they are presented in a single and secured environment accessible from any Internet-connected device, be it a tablet, computer, or phone. Examples of this development can be found with software solutions such as Nextstep Systems, Hello Scheduling, VST Inc, and Steller Restaurant Solutions to name a few. Still, internationalization of franchises continues to be a strong trend within the industry. Many countries are always willing to pay large amounts of money to use western trademarks along with the training and knowledge that come with the territory. Over 400 franchises are operating internationally, proving to be a thriving option. Furthermore, the Franchise Trade Commission also facilitates business deals for American companies abroad confirming the demand for an American disposition.
Often, banks that aren't willing to work with you based on your financial profile become more amenable if you suggest working with an SBA loan guarantee; these loans are guaranteed up to 90 percent by the SBA. Small businesses simply submit a loan application to the lender for initial review, and if the lender finds the application acceptable, it forwards the application and its credit analysis to the nearest SBA office. After SBA approval, the lender closes the loan and disburses the funds; the borrower makes loan payments to the lender.
Ideally, your business will operate long enough and become successful enough that the company will get its own credit score and be able to qualify for a loan on its own. Building a business credit score requires your company to establish its own identity, including having its own tax ID number or employer ID number, obtained from the IRS. You'll typically also need a business credit card in the organization's name that's always paid on time.

The purpose of these checks is to make sure that the applicant will fit into the company’s culture and to ensure that they have been truthful and accurate in their resume and employment application. However, the process is carefully regulated by the federal government (through the Fair Credit Reporting Act) and the laws of many states; failure to follow the highly technical process can lead to class action lawsuits. Consider consulting legal counsel and, for general information, see the EEOC’s Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know.

Jeff White is a staff writer and financial analyst at Fit Small Business, specializing in Small Business Finance. As a JD/MBA, he has spent the majority of his career either operating small businesses (in the retail and management consulting spaces) or helping them through M&A transactions. When he is not helping small businesses, he spends his time teaching his five kids how to become entrepreneurs.
An investor looks for a more high-risk opportunity to get a higher reward and will put their money in established businesses that have the potential for high growth. Investors generally expect to be involved in the business in the form of a seat on the board of directors or some other role in which they have a say in how the business is managed. For the most part, investors want to get in on a company while it is in its early growth stage, and they get out once the business has reached a certain level of growth.
The government-guaranteed SBA loan program works with banks to offer low interest rates and long-term repayment. But the process is time-consuming, and the requirements are strict. Only those with good personal credit (690 or higher, although some SBA lenders may have lower score requirements), strong business finances and the flexibility to wait for funding should apply.
Repairs, improvements, and replacements. Be aware of a clause that says that at the end of the lease you must restore the premises to their original condition. Try to negotiate a clause that states the following: “The premises will be returned to the Landlord at the end of the tenancy in the same condition as at the beginning of the tenancy, excluding (1) ordinary wear and tear, (2) damage by fire and unavoidable casualty not the fault of the Tenant, and (3) alterations previously approved by the Landlord.”
Equipment loans. If you’re specifically looking for cash to fund the purchase of new equipment – including vehicles, manufacturing or production machinery, farming equipment, or other necessary equipment – then an equipment loan or leasing program may be what you need. Like business loans, equipment loans offer fixed interest rates and payment plans over a period of time.
Many traditional lenders provide funding to franchisees, so this should be a top-line option for those looking for a loan. Each lender will have different eligibility requirements and loan products so examine documents in detail before signing on the dotted line. You will need a good credit rating, a solid application package, a down payment and some form of collateral.
3. Leverage social media. Let’s face it, everyone is on social media these days, and the majority of traffic still occurs on Facebook. If you are not using Facebook for your business, create a page today. You are leaving an opportunity on the table if you don’t. There has been a shift the past few years with more and more retirees joining the social media world. I guess they realize that if they want to keep up with their kids, grandkids, friends and neighbors, they better get with the program. In fact, retirees are often my best brand ambassadors and help promote our events.
Proof of ability to pay: As Ali told me, banks want to be sure you’re positioned to make the loan payment on time each month. You’ll need to present detailed financial statements showing that your income is at least 1.25 times your operating expenses, including the new repayment amount. For example, say your business makes $15,000 a month and your current expenses are $10,000. With the loan repayment added to your operating expenses, you need to be sure your income still exceeds the recommended 1.25 threshold.
In addition to serving as associate chair, Eddie is a principal lecturer for the highly ranked Supply Chain Management program in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Eddie has taught over 30,000 students in person and millions more online via videos and digital textbooks. His digital content is used by both top-ranked universities and Fortune 500 companies around the world. He has also provided consulting services for companies in the energy, publishing, retail, technology, global health, and agriculture industries. Eddie likes to spend his spare time on a yoga mat.
The loan officer takes your application, and in some cases, all of the applications she has received during a set time period, to a credit committee, and the committee determines whether or not a loan gets approved. This is why it’s so important to have the loan officer on your side–you need someone standing up for you in front of the credit committee when you can’t be present.
Instead of spending hours playing with accounting software, dreaming up potential expense and income categories, and creating fancy reports with no data, spend that time generating revenue. As long as you record everything you do now, creating a more formal system later will be fairly easy. It will also be more fun, because then you'll have real data to enter.
Venture capitalists tend to start investing at $1,000,000, and they prefer to invest in high-growth and high-risk businesses. High-growth investment means the venture capital investor would see a return in 3-7 years by selling the company or going public. Venture capitalists tend to require a large amount of equity in your business, including a position on the board of directors.

Government loans are typically offered through banks and credit unions that partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA is a U.S. government body, with the motive of providing support for small businesses and entrepreneurs. For each loan authorized, a government-backed guarantee offers serious credibility, since the lender knows that even if you default, the government will pay off the balance. These loans can be applied to a number of uses, such as: